In one form or another, the cane has been used by man since ancient times as an aid in walking. The patient using the cane has, however, always faced the problem of how to store the cane when it is not used. The most obvious choice of placing the cane upon the floor is usually not a practical one, since the patient is unable to walk without the aid of a cane and picking up the cane from the floor is a task which is even more difficult than walking. Furthermore, if placed on the floor, the cane may not be seen readily and could be tripped over. Laying the cane upon a table or other similar surface is also not an acceptable solution, because the cane takes up a substantial amount of space and the same dangers are present as when the cane is placed upon the floor. Patients have therefore resorted to storing canes in an upright position, either leaning against a wall or a piece of furniture or supported by its handle or crook. However, this is not a stable position for a cane, and the cane typically falls over as people walk on the floor and it must be repositioned repeatedly.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which can support a walking cane in a relatively stable upright position and which may readily be carried by the patient, for example, in a pocket, for use whenever the cane is not in use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide such a cane supporting apparatus which is capable of supporting the cane in a variety of different positions, such as in an upright position leaning against the wall or supported by a table surface, or the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cane supporting apparatus which is reliable and convenient in use, yet relatively inexpensive in construction.
In accordance with the present invention, a cane supporting apparatus is made from a light weight piece of material which has an upright contact surface having a width which is several times the diameter of the cane. Generally perpendicular to the upright contact surface is a generally horizontal contact surface, and both of these surfaces are made to have a high coefficient friction. In the horizontal contact surface, the apparatus is provided with a through-hole which is dimensioned to receive the cane with a slight amount of resistance. The apparatus may therefore be slipped over the cane with the horizontal contact surface generally perpendicular to the length of the cane. The cane may then be supported against a wall or similar surface by means of the upright contact surface of the apparatus or with respect to a table surface by means of the horizontal contact surface of the apparatus.